The present invention relates to a smoker's ashtray capable of both preventing and detecting cigarette related fires and more particularly, to a microprocessor based battery powered early fire detection and prevention apparatus.
Cigarette related fires are commonplace. They rank as the number one cause of residential fires and residential fire related deaths. It is well documented that many of the cigarette related fires stem from a lit cigarette that is knocked from an ashtray, a lit cigarette that burns unattended and shortens until it tips from the ashtray, or a person who falls asleep while smoking. Although early warning smoke detectors are commonplace in most residences, their proximity to the source of the smoke is directly related to the amount of time available to rectify the situation before it gets out of hand. Furthermore, many smokers prefer to disable their ceiling mounted smoke detectors if they smoke indoors as the hot rising smoke particles continually set off the alarms.
Prior art alarming ashtrays attempting to offer early warning focus on the status of the cigarette and its positioning by pressure micro switches, heat sensors and the like. Their detection/sensing capabilities end when the cigarette is extinguished, or when the cigarette leaves the ashtray. This does not account for tipped ashtrays, cigarettes that have fallen out of the ashtray and cigarettes that never return to the ashtray after use. Furthermore, these require certain ongoing interactions between the smoker and the ashtray, such as the resetting of their alarming mechanisms.
The present invention offers true “full protection” for most of the likely scenarios caused by smokers that can potentially result in a fire. The ashtray notifies the smoker when their cigarette has been lefty unattended in the ashtray for a predetermined period of time. Continuing to fail to attend to the cigarette after a lengthier period of time prompts a stronger notification. Bumping or tilting the ashtray beyond a preset angle initiates a continual notification until the situation is remedied. Emptying of the ashtray by tipping overrides and disables the tipping alarm momentarily. If a lit cigarette falls in the vicinity of the ashtray, the cigarette smoke and/or smoke from ignited combustible materials will instigate another alarm. The apparatus also warns the user of a low battery condition. Since the apparatus is microprocessor controlled, the timing intervals and magnitude of the different alarm notifications can be preprogramed as well as the sensitivity of the smoke detectors.
Henceforth, a “full protection” alarming ashtray would fulfill a long felt need in the industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.